Herb and Garlic Prime Rib Roast

Our recipe for perfect prime rib roast is mouthwateringly juicy, unbelievably tender, and extremely flavorful, with a crackling herb and garlic crust. We have a foolproof prime rib rub recipe with fresh rosemary and thyme, and we’ll show you how to sear the beef, roast it, and prepare a savory red wine mushroom sauce — all in one cast iron skillet.

Everyone gets what they want with a prime rib roast: those who like their beef well-done will be satisfied with the deep brown, crusted slices from the ends, while those who like their meat rare will fight over the juicy, pink center slices.

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Did you know that “prime rib” actually refers to the grade of the meat, not the cut? But don’t be surprised if you can’t find it — many grocery stores don’t actually sell true “prime” grade meat (because that goes directly to restaurants and specialty butchers). The next two USDA grades are “choice” and “select”, which will work well with this recipe.

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As for the cut, seek out a boneless “ribeye roast”, “eye of the rib roast”, or “rib roast”. (A standing rib roast is the same thing, just with the bones left in — it’s a lot harder to carve, which is why we chose boneless.)

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Fat = flavor. Don’t be afraid of it! The more marbling you can see, the more tender, flavorful, and juicy your roast beef will be.

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This prime rib roast recipe would make a delicious centerpiece for a holiday meal or Sunday dinner. And if you end up with any leftovers, you can look forward to the most amazing roast beef sandwiches the next day.

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Herb and Garlic Prime Rib

Serves 6Prep Time: 15 MinutesTotal Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless ribeye roast

1 teaspoon salt (plus more for seasoning the roast)

½ teaspoon black pepper (plus more for seasoning the roast)

5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

¼ cup garlic, minced

Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

½ cup + 2 Tablespoons cold butter, divided

¼ cup onion, minced

4 cups cremini mushrooms, evenly sliced

1 cup red wine

1 cup beef broth

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C.

Tie the roast with cooking twine and season each side generously with salt and pepper.

Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and bring it to the smoke point, then sear the roast on all sides. Remove the roast from the heat.

In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and the remaining three tablespoons of the olive oil. Rub the herb and garlic mixture all over the roast.

Place the cast iron skillet in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Decrease the temperature to 300°F / 150°C and roast it for approximately 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature has reached 130°F / 55°C. (At this point the roast will be medium-rare. It will continue to cook after being removed from the oven, so the temperature will rise an additional 5 to 10 degrees.)

Remove the roast from the pan and tent it with foil. Pour off the excess grease from the skillet.

Prepare the red wine mushroom sauce: return the skillet to medium heat and melt two tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and sauté until they’re translucent. Add the mushrooms, season them with salt and pepper, and cook them for another 5 minutes or until the liquid they release has been cooked off. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook until it has been reduced by half. Add the beef broth and fresh thyme, and cook until the sauce has reduced by about two-thirds. Stir in the remaining cold butter to finish the sauce, and spoon it over slices of the roast beef.